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Don't get faked out by gadgets

Counterfeit is a serious problem. You can be sure that any successful product has been replicated by unscrupulous characters. Doesn't the innovator of a product deserve the profit from their work?

According to a 2013 story at www.businessinsider.com, China is the origin of 70 percent of counterfeit products seized globally. In the United States, the number is even higher at 87 percent. What is the harm done from counterfeit products? Most of the iPhones and counterfeit electronics originate in China but don't make an assumption that all Chinese manufactured products are substandard. Apple has contracts with Chinese companies to build iPhones. Legitimate high-quality products as well as counterfeit products originate from China.

New York streets used to be known as the marketplace for product rips. You could buy a watch that was a cheap copy of a Rolex and it was guaranteed to stop working shortly after your purchase.

The Internet is the current marketplace to buy or sell anything. Illegal, controlled, or any other hard to find products are all available on the Internet -- Buyer beware!

Counterfeit iPhones are big business. There are even different types of iPhone counterfeits. Frankenphones as the name suggests are like Frankenstein's monster. They are built from units that were supposed to be destroyed but their components are used to build Frankenphones. Pieces and parts of scrapped iPhones don't make a good iPhone.

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Compare the serial number on the back of the iPhone to the serial number stored in the settings as just one way to verify the iPhone.

Other fake iPhones are actually android phones masquerading as legitimate iPhones. These fake iPhones are easier to detect. The parts aren't genuine Apple parts and should be easy to detect. Checking the settings will reveal android settings. Genuine iPhones don't have android settings.

Are there any problems associated with fake iPhones? Fake phones may contain poisonous metals. The glass may shatter easier. How many people do you know with a cracked iPhone screen? A fake iPhone may not have the performance of a genuine iPhone. Even genuine iPhones have issues but chances of problems are multiplied with fake iPhones.

These inferior products could give the genuine products a bad reputation. It isn't just the price of an iPhone that is being denied to Apple. Bad press can cause many possible potential iPhone purchasers to go elsewhere.

How do you avoid getting stuck with a substandard product? Purchase your new iPhone from a reputable seller. Don't waste your time looking for a deal that appears to be too good to be real. It most likely is not a genuine iPhone. You won't be happy with your purchase. If you are willing to spend $500 or more on an iPhone, don't waste money on a fake phone.

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